Estimates of the number of deaths attributable to cannabis vary wildly, from the preposterous claim of 30,000 per year published in a largely-debunked letter to the British Medical Journal in 2003, all the way down to zero. Here, we assess the claims made by the media and the science - or lack of it - behind them.

Estimates of the number of deaths attributable to cannabis vary wildly, from the preposterous claim of 30,000 per year published in a largely-debunked letter to the British Medical Journal in 2003, all the way down to zero. Here, we assess the claims made by the media and the science—or lack of it—behind them.

Estimates of the number of deaths attributable to cannabis vary wildly, from the preposterous claim of 30,000 per year published in a largely-debunked letter to the British Medical Journal in 2003, all the way down to zero. Here, we assess the claims made by the media and the science—or lack of it—behind them.

The tiny, landlocked Kingdom of Lesotho, with an area of just 30,000km² and a population of around two million, is an enclave entirely surrounded by South Africa. Independent of Great Britain since 1966, Lesotho has struggled to develop and improve, and remains poverty-stricken, underdeveloped and hugely unequal.

Egypt has had a troubled relationship with cannabis in modern times. Formerly a plant of high status, with several documented medicinal uses in ancient times, cannabis was made illegal in 1925 with the League of Nations' Geneva International Convention on Narcotic Control, and has been aggressively targeted at various points since then.

Many consumers of marijuana find that a high, especially a strong high, interferes with their ability to read. Some report that they have problems concentrating on a text, or that they often forget what they have just read in a previous paragraph. However, the negative effects described by these consumers depend on various factors.

A comparison of the 2003 and 2013 Cannabis Cups in Amsterdam reveals the changing nature of arguably the world’s most famous cannabis festival. This echoes the radical changes that have also occurred in the acceptance of the use of arguably the world’s favourite plant, on both sides of the Atlantic. Whereas the U.S. appears to be moving forward at an unprecedented rate, the Netherlands is seeing increasingly restrictive measures imposed upon a tolerance policy that Frits Bolkestein, a former Minister who is in favour of a regulated coffeeshop model, described in 2013 as “straining at the seams”.

The mathematical genius Norbert Wiener once got stopped on the MIT university campus by one of his students, who asked him about a mathematical problem. Wiener, famous for his absent-mindedness, answered the student's question, but then wondered: “In which direction was I walking when you stopped me?”. A bit puzzled, the student indicated the direction where his professor had come from, and Wiener declared: “Ah … then I've had my lunch!”.

Sativex by GW Pharmaceuticals has been hailed as a wonder drug by some, sheer quackery by others and at worst, part of a deep-rooted conspiracy to legitimise medicinal cannabis only in specific guises, thereby allowing pharmaceutical companies to profit while keeping cannabis research illegal on a wider scale.

The winners of this year's High Times Cannabis Cup!
The Sensi Team was delighted to be part of this 2013 edition, and was honored to be on stage to support Sensi Seeds’ illustrious founder Ben Dronkers, who was inducted into High Times Counterculture Hall of Fame.

In addition to the joy of cannabis, the High Times Cannabis Cup has also traditionally brought the joy of diverse music to the judges, entrants and locals who fill the Melkweg for the evening entertainments during the event.

It has become frequent, in recent months, to see hemp-related items join the flow of mainstream news. Apparently France - where medicinal products containing cannabis were only discreetly authorized back in June 2013 - does not want to be the late bloomer on everything cannabis-related.

The Hawaiian Baby Woodrose (Argyreia nervosa) is one of the better-known members of the Morning Glory or Convolvulaceae family. This large family comprises over a thousand flowering plant species that are all commonly known as Morning Glory. Many of these plants are cultivated for the hallucinogenic compounds within their seeds.

It is thought that over 600 million people chew betel quid on a regular basis, and the practice has acquired sacred status in many cultures where it is widespread. It is likely that betel use originated in the island archipelagos of Southeast Asia, from where the custom spread to the mainland, arriving first in Vietnam and Thailand, and reaching India sometime later.

The Republic of Cameroon is a relatively stable and successful Central African nation, with good roads and infrastructure. However, a substantial proportion of its rural population depends on subsistence agriculture. As a result, cannabis appeals greatly to poor farmers as it commands a high price and can be transported with ease.

It is popularly believed that cannabis is non-addictive; however, cannabis dependence is a recognised medical condition and one that is thought to be on the increase in many countries, as availability and use becomes more widespread and acceptable. So what is the difference between dependence and addiction, and how does it apply to cannabis?

Zambia is one of the most impoverished nations on the planet, and standards of living are declining for substantial sections of the rural population. As a result, cannabis production in Zambia is at an all-time high: farmers choose cannabis over traditional crops such as sorghum, maize and rice as it commands a far higher market price. Furthermore, as police presence is sparse in the countryside, there is little risk of discovery and arrest.

The federal republic of Nigeria is a large country on the coast of West Africa. It has a population of over 170 million people and is by far the most densely populated country in Africa. Nigeria is the economic centre of the region and a very important hub in the international trade triangle that connects South America, West Africa and Europe.